Dark
by Jsel
Summary: Daniel helps Jack...


TITLE:Dark   
AUTHOR:Jsel   
EMAIL:Blubear5@hotmail.com   
CATEGORY:Angst   
SPOILERS:   
SEASON / SEQUEL:   
RATING: PG13   
CONTENT WARNINGS:   
SUMMARY:Daniel helps Jack...   
STATUS: Complete   
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis   
DISCLAIMER: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.   
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks to Ivanova for Betaing.  
  
~~~~  
  
"NO!"  
  
The shout rang out and echoed and echoed until it slowly faded from hearing, seeping into the earth where it would be held forever and into the stars where it would add intensity to the light they emitted. The One plunged to the edge of the precipice and threw himself to the ground to clutch the Other's hand before he fell from reach.  
  
His hand slipped against the Other's and he did not dare reach with his other hand to help pull him to safety for fear that he would be unable to keep himself from plunging over the edge along with his friend.   
  
~~~~  
  
Daniel paused to allow his eyes to adjust from the harsh light of the corridor outside to the dim and almost nonexistent glow of Jack's office. The light touched on the top of his head, appearing almost like a halo and not quite illuminating his face. His eyes searched the faint outlines in the darkness and coming to a rest on the dark figure in the chair by the desk. He softly closed the door, plunging the room into a murky half-light. He received no response from the slouched outline. Frowning at the idea of light flooding his eyes, he easily found one of those flashlights that doubled as a lamp and flicked that on instead. A golden pool of light flared into existence, casting skittering shadows to play across his face and the walls before dimming again in a sign that the batteries hadn't been changed in a long time. Carefully, he set the "lamp" on the desk, throwing Jack into stark relief.   
  
He sat in his swivel chair, shivering from a cold that established itself deep within his being. His vacant eyes stared off into nothing and he did not move or acknowledge Daniel.  
  
"Jack," he whispered softly. Jack's head turned toward Daniel, but his eyes looked through him. "It's not your fault." He slowly shook his head.  
  
"No," he said harshly, "You're wrong. I killed him."  
  
"He would have killed you." Jack shivered.  
  
"He was just a boy," he whispered, ignoring Daniel. "Just like Charlie. I killed them both. I nearly killed you three." He held his hands in front of his face. "So much death," he said silently.  
  
"We're not dead," Daniel insisted. "You did what you had to, it's not your fault."  
  
But Jack shook his head and clutched in on himself and refused to believe him.  
  
~~~~  
  
The Other hung in his grasp, not helping and not hindering. His arm ached from the effort of holding on and he could feel his hand slipping from the Other's with every passing second. The Other looked ready to give up, to allow the wind to cushion him as he fell and the dark to hold him close in it's everlasting grip. He grasped the other hand relentlessly, felt the bones crush and dug his nails into the flesh in effort to keep a firm hold.   
  
The wind whispered around him, whistling it's ancient language into his ears. He's not worth it, it said, it's much easier to simply let go. He does not care, it shrieked, he does not care whether he lives or dies! Let him fall.   
  
The One felt the darkness of the winds touch and knew that it already inhabited the Other. I will not, he said, and told the Other with his eyes. We will both live, or we will both die.  
  
His tenacious hold slipped still more and the Other was not helping.   
  
~~~~  
  
Daniel gazed at his friend and his heart cried at what he saw. Jack didn't want to believe him and Daniel didn't know how to make him believe him. He reached out and held one of Jack's hands between his two to stall for time. The chilled feeling of the hand he held struck him forcibly. He clasped Jack's hand more firmly, in hopes that some of the warmth from his hands might seep into the hand between his. Jack looked down in surprise at the unexpected touch.  
  
"Daniel," he said suddenly, as if only then realizing that Daniel was there.  
  
"Jack," he said desperately. "Jack, it isn't your fault."  
  
Jack abruptly seized Daniel's shirt fiercely with both hands.  
  
"Did you see them?" he demanded. "Did you? Sentenced to death because of us. Because their...masters... ordered it," he spat. Daniel watched him compassionately. Instead of pulling from his grip, he seized Jack in a fierce hug. Jack sagged into him and finally allowed the grief that he felt to spill over and out of his tight control.  
  
"So young," he moaned, "They were so young. Slaves, Danny, those children were slaves."  
  
As Jack buried his face into Daniel's shoulder, Daniel's gentle warmth expelled the ice that had settled itself into Jack's spirit.  
  
~~~~   
  
Suddenly, the hand that had previously only been something to try and hold tightened around the One's hand. Surprised, he gazed down into eyes that had stopped looking into the past and had started seeing the present. Feet below him scrambled for purchase and the heavy deadweight that had been pulling at his arm suddenly became live, viable energy. The wind stopped whistling it's challenges and with a mighty heave that took out all of he remaining strength, the Other flopped over the edge and scrambled away from the sheer drop that had almost claimed his existence.  
  
The shadows that had been clawing their way of the sheer ravine were immediately overridden by the blazing light. 


End file.
